1300-50;Middle Englishwerble a tune < Old North French < Germanic; compare Old High Germanwerbel something that turns, equivalent to werb- (cognate with Old Englishhweorf- in hweorfan to turn) + -el noun suffix

warble

v.

c.1300, from Old North French werbler "to sing with trills and quavers," from Frankish *werbilon (cf. Old High German wirbil "whirlwind," German Wirbel "whirl, whirlpool, tuning peg, vertebra," Middle Dutch wervelen "to turn, whirl"); see whirl. The noun meaning "tune, melody" is recorded from c.1300. Related: Warbled; warbling.